Early Club History

From Russell Willis, one of the founding members: “On a pleasant June day in 1974, a small classified ad appeared in the Northern Territory News. In it, The Environment Council asked anyone interested in forming a bushwalking Club to attend a lunchtime meeting at the Koala Hotel . About a dozen people turned up, among them Alan Moy and myself. The Darwin Bushwalking Club had been born. We had a few day walks, a few weekenders - nothing too far afield, at least not as a Club. In August, accompanied by three students from Casuarina High School, I did my first walk from Jim Jim Falls to Koolpin, exiting via El Sherana (Kakadu) and hitching back to Darwin. December arrived and we broke up for the holiday, planning to get going again early in the New Year. Unfortunately, Cyclone Tracy intervened and it was mid year before we got going again…"

"In order to understand the character of the DBC in those days, you need to understand some of the differences. We had a much larger proportion of schoolteachers. High school students came along on a large proportion of Club trips. Several of them actually became members. Many wrote trip reports. Most of our meetings were held in the Casuarina High maths area and the newsletter was all run off there. The average age was younger which must have had an effect on the way we looked at things. Another major difference was the proportion of exploratory trips.

When we began, few of us knew much about the good places to go up here. Few others did any bushwalking. We had to discover it all before we could develop particular favourite spots to come back to again and again. The population was smaller and tourists were fewer. (Katherine Gorge, for example was a much quieter place). Most roads were unsealed and impassable in the wet. The first all bitumen connection with southern Australia was not completed until 1976. The only road south was the old Stuart Highway via Robin Falls etc. It took longer to get places back then. Maybe that's why the pub stops were longer and more frequent.”

From these humble beginnings, the DBC grew. Other outdoor events organised by the DBC include cycling, canoeing and many join with the rogaining, orienteering or climbing groups in Darwin. The Club organises navigation weekends, and leadership training. Social events are also an important part of Club activities. Membership varies up to about 120.